The world of professional cycling equipment is often made up of traditions and locked contracts. Yet this early 2026 marked a tectonic break in the WorldTour peloton. After years of trusting Shimano's Japanese reliability or Princeton's American exoticism.
Ten years ago, it was simple: a road rim was 17 mm wide and 23 mm tires were mounted. Today is chaos. The modern rims reach 25 mm of internal width on the road (i.e. wider than the wheels of MTB 15 years ago!), and the standard « hookless » (without hooks) imposes strict safety rules.
The switch to tubeless is probably the most effective technical improvement for a cyclist, whether on the road, engraved or mountain bike. No more pinches, better comfort, better rolling resistance. But one question always comes back in my workshop: « How much preventive fluid should I inject? »
We've long thought we had to swell his tires. « as hard as possible » to go fast. It is a physical error that costs a lot, both in comfort and pure performance.
I still see it too often: cyclists who inflate at 8 bars on tires of 28 mm because « That's what we've always done ». Yet the pressure on your tires is the only point of contact between your power and the road.
It is a small revolution that has just taken place in Biel, Switzerland. DT Swiss, a world leader in stainless steel radius and guardian of a certain manufacturing tradition, has just crossed a major technological path. For the first time in its history, the brand launches a pair of wheels equipped with carbon rays: the DT Swiss ARC 1100 Spline 38 CS.
If you have recently consulted high-end wheel data sheets such as those of Zipp, DT Swiss, Swiss Side or the latest aerodynamic frames, you have inevitably come across a mysterious acronym: CFD. Often used as a guarantee of scientific quality and absolute performance, this term remains obscure for most cyclists. Is it simply marketing or a real technological revolution?
The North-Irish brand Scribe Cycling, renowned for its aggressive performance/price ratio, is moving to a higher speed with its new Ultra range. Forget the entry-level, Scribe now aims at the very top of the board with a bold statement: offer the fastest pair of wheels on the market certified by the UCI. To achieve this, two new series, Ultra Élan and Ultra Core, have emerged, built around a major innovation: carbon rays with a wavy profile, called OSL8.
The French brand Prymahl, so far associated with Origin bikes, takes off and asserts itself as a fully-fledged entity with a clear ambition: to impose itself on the high performance wheel market. With no less than 27 new models for road, gravel and mountain bike, the Rouvignies brand hits a big hit. We have analysed in detail this strategic renewal that relies on technology, a clear segmentation and an assembly always made in France.
MAVIC, the iconic French brand re-launched in 2020 by the Bourrelier group, unveils an update of its Cosmic SLR 45 Disc, wheels cut for road and gravel performance. With a weight of 1,480 g the pair and a competitive price of 1,999 €, they position themselves as a serious alternative to Zipp or Enve, especially below the 2,000 mark €. Keeping Fore technology and 23 mm internal width of versions
Fulcrum unveiled its new Soniq 42 wheels, an alternative more accessible to the prestigious Sharq, but just as impressive. Designed for road and gravel cyclists looking for versatility, these carbon wheels combine advanced technologies such as 2-Wave Rim and FF80 stratification. In this article, we explore their technical characteristics, their assets, and why they could become your next favorite. Ready to ride without compromise? Here we go!
